Baby Boomer Blues
by Steve West on April 23, 2021
I overheard someone of my generation (born in the early 60's) recently say, "Kids today don't even know how to write in cursive," in a negative way. That statement got grumbled agreement from the codgers nearby. I was thinking without saying out loud, "Grandma, you can't even turn on your laptop without getting six viruses and wiring half your retirement money to a Nigerian Prince." How can two people in the same generation have such polarizing views? Why am I surprised and disappointed when this happens across myriad issues? A little tolerance, please.
Four Replies to Baby Boomer Blues
Erik Bates | April 23, 2021
[hidden by author request]
Steve West | April 23, 2021
And to that I say, "Me transmitte sursum, caledoni (Beam me up, Scotty). Si hoc signum legere potes, operis boni in rebus Latinus alacribus et fructuosis potiri potes! (If you can read this sign, you can get a good job in the fast paced, high paying world of Latin!)"
And its close relative, Dante's Inferno in middle Italian, "Lasciate ogni speranza, voi ch'entrate. (Abandon all hope ye who enter here.)"
Scott Hardie | April 27, 2021
I agree with your excellent points. But of course, the "Constitution" talk is really just a political signal. The kind of person who frets about "kids today" is also likely to hold that particular document in a certain esteem, and a politician can score twice the affinity by linking them.
Those old codgers that Steve described are really going to flip their shit when they realize that this is the last generation of kids that learns to write longhand at all.
Web Junkie
Steve West scours the Web searching for interest or absurdity and then shakes his head ruefully when he finds it. Read more »
(Insert Movie Title)...in 30 seconds Re-Enacted By Bunnies
Not a new site at all but one I hope everyone will enjoy if you haven't already. If you've seen it before, hope you'll find something new. Very clever re-enactments if only for the editorial difficulty in condensing a film down to 30 seconds. Go »Christmas and a Lizard's Tale
One Christmas when Lauren was eight, like a lot of girls her age, wished for a pony. My backyard at the time was about the size of a Volkswagen Minibus. Despite her assurances that she would let it roam the neighborhood for sufficient exercise, I said, “Not this year,” as I pictured myself following the horse with a pooper scooper. Go »Be Afraid, Be Very Afraid
Because it's Iran Defense Week, their military was on parade to show their strength. Ahmadinejad claimed there were no gay men in the country. Perhaps, but a lot of them resemble Lady Gaga (Scoopy joke). Go »The Bus Stops Here
In Slapshot, Paul Newman encourages the minor league hockey team he captains to play like goons. The team begins to have some success and the driver of the team bus joins in the spirit of gooniness. Paul Newman approaches him while he is proceeding to smack the exterior of the bus with a sledge hammer and inquires as to what he is doing. Go »Woman Attacks Karaoke Singer
A woman attacked a karaoke singer while he was singing Coldplay. A similar thing happened to me once. I was pretty drunk and I started a fight with some guy singing Dave Matthews. Go »
Scott Hardie | April 23, 2021
I read an article that explained that despite their reputation for not understanding technology, seniors can learn it just fine; the reason why they don't is that they don't see any value in it for them. What use do they have for TikTok or Snapchat or Roblox?
To which I say: What use do kids today have for cursive?